Lahore: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that Pakistan would extend every possible support to Turkiye in the wake of the catastrophic earthquake that has killed over 18,000 in Turkiye alone and urged the people to donate to the Prime Minister’s relief fund.
At the Lahore airport, the premier dispatched over 100 tonnes of relief goods, including food, medicines, and winterized tents, for the people of Turkiye.
PM Shehbaz Sharif said that the people of Pakistan stand in solidarity with their brethren in distress and would do everything to help them rebuild their lives.
He recalled how Turkiye had established an air bridge with Pakistan after the horrific 2005 earthquake that killed around 80,000 people in Azad Kashmir.
The prime minister said an air bridge has already been set up to transport relief goods to Turkiye, and the trucks of the National Logistic Cell will carry 100 tonnes of relief goods to Turkiye via Iran.
A PIA 777 aircraft earlier in the day carried relief goods to Turkiye from Lahore, while 30 tonnes would be airlifted from Islamabad today. Another batch of 40 tonnes of relief goods will be sent from Lahore on Saturday.
The prime minister made an impassioned appeal to the people, the business community, and philanthropic organizations to gear up their efforts and send winterized tents, blankets, food, and clothing for those who lost everything in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake.
On Tuesday, Pakistan sent the first consignment of relief goods at the instruction of PM Shehbaz from the Nur Khan Air Base through PAF C-130 aircraft, including winterized tents and blankets, along with a search and rescue team of the Pakistan Army.
